A Time To Be Thankful
by TheLifeLongEditor
Summary: 1912. Thanksgiving day. Peer into a window looking out into a world where Booker and Elizabeth successfully escaped Columbia to live a normal life together. Now comes the hard part, planning for the holiday. Booker x Elizabeth (not related).


**A Time To Be Thankful**

**By TheLifeLongEditor**

**Author's Note: Hello all, for those of you who follow my other stories you'll know that I intimated that I would entertain this endeavor in hopes of having a finished product to deliver on Thanksgiving and…well…here it is! For those of you who **_**don't **_**follow I'll just say that this is a Booker/Elizabeth (non-related) light romance one-shot involving the U.S. Holiday of Thanksgiving.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bioshock Infinite!**

* * *

_Thursday, November 28__th__, 1912_

* * *

The business of being a private investigator had its ups and its downs, and to Booker DeWitt, this was definitely one of the latter. Of all the jobs he was approached to perform for his willing and paying customers, tailing lovers and even wives for jealous spouses and significant others was most definitely at the bottom of his list of enjoyments. He absolutely hated the idea of following people around just because one party either was too insecure to actually talk about their feelings or the other party simply wouldn't admit that the relationship had run its course.

To Booker, when it came to love and that sort of stuff, he considered himself to be highly practical. You either love someone or you don't, simple as that, and anyone who said there was anything in between was probably trying to sell you something. For Booker, cheating was probably the worst offense one human being could do to another in the course of an intimate romantic relationship. If you don't love someone any more, come out with it and move on with your life; Booker hated seeing men and woman running around on each other with their scheming, hiding, and plotting affairs only to be caught red handed and watch the whole of it blow up in their faces. The look on the other's face, the cheated, was always one of the most intense pain and suffering. God only knew what sort of questions ran through their heads, how they mentally tore themselves apart over their loved one's betrayal, it was disgusting and it made the detective uncomfortable to have any part of it, even if he were the one shining light on the shady business of untrustworthy partners.

Booker may have been a drunkard and a gambler, but he never cheated on any woman he happened to be with during his time on earth; honesty was probably his only virtue in a long life of vices. As he took the last drag of a cigarette before tossing it to the cold pavement and snuffing out the dim remnant flame with the heel of his boot, he dispelled such judgments as a young slight woman approached. She was shorter, had long blonde hair fashioned up in a bun, and wore a beautiful white coat. Rebecca Saunders was the name, came from a respectable family too, she had contracted the services of DeWitt Private Investigations because she suspected her husband had gone astray, and the private detective had the unfortunate burden of being the bearer of unpleasant news.

"Mister DeWitt, I do apologize for my tardiness, holiday traffic and all. I'm sure you understand." The composed woman offered politely with a ghost of a smile, he could tell it took all within her not to grab him by the lapels and beg him for the truth but he played his part just as she played hers.

"Not a problem ma'am, haven't been waiting too long myself. I do apologize for bringing you away from your family on today of all days." He reciprocated in kind; true enough when he had made the appointment to meet her after he accepted the job he hadn't looked at his calendar as closely as he should have. It was only after he had made this appointment upon compiling all of the information he had collected over the weeks that Elizabeth pointed out that the date coincided with Thanksgiving, but everything was set and here they stood.

"It's no trouble, I told them I had a last minute errand to run and that I would be back within the hour." She assured the detective who took a deep breath as he retrieved a thick manila envelope from the inner confines of his thick black winter coat.

"Then I won't keep you very long, here's everything I've collected during my investigation into your husband's ongoing behaviors, Mrs. Saunders." Booker said grimly and offered the folder to the woman whose eyes widened in horror. She reached for the envelope and gripped it with all her might, but for some reason couldn't bring herself to fully retrieve it from the detective's grasp.

"Um, Mrs. Saunders, are you alright?" Booker asked confused by her inability to assume ownership of the materials. The woman in question simply shook her head and looked off down a busy street and the detective watched a single tear fall from her eye, slightly smudging the well-applied makeup.

"He's seeing another woman isn't he?" Her voice barely shook as she whispered the million-dollar question just audible enough for the private investigator to catch wind.

"Mrs. Saunders I think you should…" Booker began to explain that the woman needed to review the evidence for herself but he was interrupted by the sudden change in demeanor as she swiveled her head to face him, meeting his tepid green eyes with her cold light blues.

"Mister DeWitt, put me out of my misery, he's seeing someone else isn't he?" She directed and Booker coughed in response. He usually avoided in every way possible of directly confirming the betrayal of one party to the betrayed, but there were times where it just couldn't be avoided and this was one of those times.

"I-I'm afraid so, Mrs. Saunders. I'm terribly sorry, I compiled all the necessaries in here if you wished to make a case out of it." Booker gestured back to the folder and the older woman nodded with her eyes clenched shut in an attempt to prevent further tears from falling. She brought a gloved hand to her eyes to wipe away them away and took a few sharps breaths through her nose.

"Thank you, Mister DeWitt. I appreciate your honesty and your thoroughness in this matter, as well as your _discretion_." Rebecca added with extra emphasis as she retrieved the necessary cash funds owed by his work and offered them to the former Pinkerton agent who took them with a polite 'thanks'. He quickly counted to ensure all was present when he noticed she had added an extra generous sum and looked back up at her with surprise.

"Mrs. Saunders, there must be some mistake, you've given me more than we agreed." Booker conveyed and the woman smiled as she retrieved a pocket mirror, checked her make-up, and replaced the affects within her purse before addressing the man.

"You're honest Mister DeWitt, you seemed the honest type when I first came to your office." She laughed and shivered as she brought her thick white coat closer as stiff breeze rolled through. "I have a question for you Mister DeWitt, do you think you could answer honestly for me?"

"Certainly, uh, ma'am, thought everything concerning your husband can be found in that envelope." Booker replied honestly as he wasn't quite certain where the lady was going with this line inquiry.

"I completely agree with you, but this has nothing to do with Richard." She said with a warm smile and began once more. "Tell me, that woman who works in your office, that young and pretty brunette, is she your wife?" She asked rather nonchalantly. Booker was caught off guard, he worked alone, nobody worked in his office except…and then it clicked, it was Elizabeth. She was talking about Elizabeth.

"She's,erm,no ma'am, she's not my wife." Booker replied with a small smile and the faintest hint of scarlet on his toned cheeks as he had full intentions on proposing when he managed to secure the funds to procure the perfect ring to bestow upon her dainty hand.

"Something you're working to correct I should hope." She replied back and watched the detective sputter before she gave a soft laugh and continued. "But you love her, don't you?" The refined lady finished as she crossed her arms and stood in wait for the detective to answer the question. Booker shuffled uncomfortably, he considered himself a touch on the old fashioned side when it came to expressing himself, something that his significant other had intensely worked on breaking over the past few months.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah I do and I aim to marry her when things get better on the finance side." Booker shot back defensively, not knowing what she was getting at with all these questions.

"I thoughts so, I could see it in your eyes then just as I can see it now. A word of advice, if I may?" She offered as she stepped closer.

"Uh, sure." Booker lamely replied

"I could see the love in her eyes too, as much as if not more than your should take great care of that love and treasure it. True love is the purest thing in this world that no one can ever take away from either of you…unless you allow it." She finished somberly as she reflected on the state of her own marriage.

"You don't have to tell me twice ma'am, I've lost important people, I'm not about to let it happen again." He said more for his own benefit than anything else and noticed the smile return to the lady's face.

"Good, after all it is a time to be thankful Mister DeWitt and you should be thankful for the love that you possess." She offered one last time as she reached up and hailed down her private transportation, which pulled up in short order. Booker reached out and opened the door for her, which Rebecca thanked him as she stepped inside.

"Are you going to be alright, Mrs. Saunders?" He asked genuinely concerned. While Booker didn't like getting too involved in his client's lives, he did hold concern for the broken and the betrayed.

"I'll be alright Mister DeWitt, I appreciate your concern. Now go home, you have the love of a good woman waiting for your return, best not to keep her any longer than you already have."

"Certainly, Miss. Happy Thanksgiving." Booker nodded rubbed his bare hands together to keep warm in the briskness of winter in New York City.

"And to you, Mister DeWitt…and to you." She said with a final wave of goodbye as the private detective shut the door and watched the woman being driven down the street before turning left and eventually out of view.

"Well, no sense standing out here in the cold—TAXI!" Booker called as he raised his hand up in the air in an attempt to hail the next oncoming cab to get home. Fortunately for the private detective, he didn't have to stand out in the cold for too long as an automobile pulled up within a few minutes.

* * *

Booker relayed the address of his office/apartment and settled into his seat. The detective was content to stare out of the window and watch as the car pulled away from the curb. There were people rushing about, no doubt traversing the streets to meet other expectant family members or perhaps even procure last minute item for the big feast of the day. At that last thought Booker smacked his own forehead in frustration.

"Damn it all to hell. Didn't get a single thing for dinner, tonight." He scolded himself as he realized that in all of his efforts to perform his job he hadn't once discussed how to celebrate the holiday or even given a thought as to how to even handle the holiday with Elizabeth. For nearly two decades Booker had spent every major holiday either drinking, alone, or in the midst of a combination of the two. There hadn't been a worry about entertaining guests, going out to shop or craft creative surprises, or even celebrating anything remotely considered a major holiday things were different now…_he _was different.

When they destroyed the siphon on Comstock's airship and Elizabeth took care of the creature, they had come to a sort of crossroads, either they continue exploring the ocean of doors or return to reality and live a semblance of normal life. Booker was curious as to just what lay behind the doors but something in Elizabeth's yearned for a sense of normalcy, no towers, no doors, no flying cities, just a normal life with a few abnormal perks. When he asked for her to take him back to New York, the surprise on her face caught him off guard, he had expected her to know the decision but evidently she was just as in the dark as he had been in this particular situation. Constants and variables he surmised, but the smile on her face when he uttered those fateful words affirmed that he made the right call.

Initially she offered to just open a tear and take them straight to Paris, her dream above all dreams. The offer was tempting to say the least, but Booker wasn't too comfortable asking her to do such a thing. Now that they were back on solid ground, he had informed her that he wanted to do right by her, something no one else in her life had ever given a thought to doing. He told her he didn't feel comfortable using her powers like that when it was his duty to provide the means for their adventures and journeys from here on out. She had laughed off his concerns, even told him that she could never feel about him the way she felt about Comstock where her powers were concerned, but Booker was set in his ways and she merely reached up and pecked him on the cheek and acquiesced to his line of thinking.

The rest, from that point, was history as some would say. Booker cleaned up his act, nearly quit drinking all together save for the occasional glass of wine with Elizabeth over dinner or a stiff whiskey after a potentially rough job, nothing anywhere near the levels that he had become accustomed to in the many years since Annabelle's death. He felt healthier and happier for it and his relationship with Elizabeth blossomed more for it, he felt a small sense of pride at being able to reign in such a serious vice. Elizabeth had seen to it that he would never have the opportunity to gamble, not that he had any strong urge to do so, but the temptation was always there and suspected it always would be.

The more he thought about it, the more he smiled at how much having Elizabeth in his life had made him an all around better person, hell he had seen a steady uptick in clients since she began helping him 'rebrand' and 'market' himself to attract a wider audience. She had also thoroughly gone through his wardrobe and pushed him to acquire more _presentable _attire as she so eloquently put it. He had initially rebuffed her, and claimed that their money could be better spent by saving up to go to Paris but she cleverly justified the expenditures by explaining how appearances would attract more business for them and would help them achieve their goal all the quicker. Booker had a sneaking suspicion it was due in large in part to the fact that he had nonchalantly informed her that he couldn't quite recall when the last time he bought a new shirt was, but with that one he couldn't be too sure.

His stomach growled and his thoughts once more returned to an attempt to determine what they could do for dinner tonight. All of the usual suspects would most likely be closed as operators and staff would likely be returning home to spend time with their families, and duly so given it was a national holiday. He had become more familiar with some of New Yorks more quaint and hidden locales since bringing Elizabeth home with him as she absolutely insisted that they have _at least _one set night week wherein they would go out to enjoy the cuisine on the town. Booker made the same old argument for money being better saved but Elizabeth argued that if they couldn't have fun together now, then it would be an absolute waste of the lives God had blessed them with as well as the rare and precious opportunity to be together. Booker found it was nigh impossible to argue with his lover, so instead he acquiesced and enjoyed the results every special night out they spent together found that they both had a rollicking good time.

Booker was pulled out of his ruminations by the sudden movement of the cab pulling up to the curb. The private detective glanced out the window to see that they had indeed arrived.

"Much obliged, sir. Here's for the fair, and here's some extra for holiday travel." Booker pulled out the cash and gave it the driver who counted and looked back with a tip of his hat and thanked the private detective. Booker stepped out of the cab and watched it drive off into the distance to merge with the various other transports still traversing New Yorks' ever busy streets and turned to ascend the step to front entrance of the apartment building.

* * *

All the way up to his personal office/apartment, Booker wracked his brain on what he could do for his beloved. Obviously it had been too late go out and prepare anything for the evening, but he knew he had to do something, but what he had no idea. With a resigned sigh, he prepared an honest apology as he retrieved his keys from within the depths of his coat pocket and inserted them into the lock. He had just turned to release lock and open when he heard a frantic female voice emanate from within.

"WAIT. Don't come in just yet, give me two seconds!"

"Elizabeth, are you alright?" He asked concerned, he wasn't accustomed to hearing such anxiety in her voice, not since their departure from Columbia.

"I'm _fine. _Just wait…wait….okay, you can come in now." She declared and Booker stepped inside.

Elizabeth had stood before him with a proud and victorious smile upon her beautiful face, her gorgeous blue eyes took in every inch of him as she wearing a thicker white blouse with a light brown patterned skirt. She had kept her hair shorter in lieu of growing it back out on the claim that it was something _different _from what she had been accustomed to and it suited this next phase of her life. Booker smiled as he took in the form of this young woman, he still had no idea how he managed to get her to fall in love with him or why the good Lord saw fit to let it happen, but he would be damned before he re ruined the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

He stepped forward to greet her with a hug when he noticed a rather large proverbial elephant in the room; there behind her sat a modest table complete with a traditional Thanksgiving spread: a delicious oven-cooked turkey complete with stuffing, a dish of fluffy mashed potatoes complete with a gravy boat on the side, a small green-bean casserole, one absolutely delectable sweet potato pie. All this took the private detective aback as he stepped forward to take in the display, Elizabeth smiled as she leaned against her beau and watched him look between her and the spread laid out before them.

"Elizabeth, what-what's all this?" He asked shocked, he wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he was certain he would have seen her come home with all this at some point if not spied all of this at any point prior in the week.

"Booker, I'm surprised at you." She admonished and he gave her a look of befuddlement. "I'd think you should recognize a Thanksgiving feast when you see one." She finished succinctly, her tone filled with mirth as her companion rolled his eyes.

"Ha. Ha. You know that's not what I meant." He clarified as he put his hands on his hips. Elizabeth shook her head and reached forward to grab his hands to place them upon her own hips and gave him the deepest look of love he'd ever received.

"You've worked so hard for us since we returned from Columbia, despite my desire to use the tears to make our lives infinitely easier." She added in a lower tone and Booker merely grunted and allowed her to continue. "So I wanted to take this opportunity to _thank _you for all that you do…so I did a little something extra while you were out." Elizabeth explained calmly as Booker dry swallowed and nodded with a small grin, but then a thought occurred to him.

"Elizabeth I don't know what to say, I mean you really didn't have to go to all this trouble. But I guess what I'm wondering most is how you managed to make all this possible?" He asked as he made a sweeping motion with his arm toward the table.

"Oh, I have my ways." The young woman proclaimed sly and Booker gave her a flat glare.

"Elizabeth you didn't…"

"Oh Booker, I wanted to make our first Thanksgiving special that's all." The young lady pled as she leaned in closer to the detective, giving him her best pouty look. Booker groaned as his resolve wavered and ultimately collapsed, she knew he couldn't resist her when she put on _that _look and she always knew when to best play her strengths.

"And so you did, Elizabeth, and so you did." He said with a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Alright, I won't say anything except thank you." He said with resignation as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss upon her forehead. Elizabeth squealed in delight and pulled the private detective in for a deep hug.

"Thank you, Booker. I just wanted you to know that I can do things for you as well." She beamed at him with a smile that could melt an iceberg.

"You, of all people, should know how much I appreciate you and the things you do for me." Booker said softly as he felt Elizabeth take his hands in her own smaller ones.

"Oh I know, but sometimes I feel the need to show you that I can do things too, and this one of those times." She placed a small kiss then pulled away to drag him toward the head of the table. "Now c'mon, and let's sit down! I don't want the food getting cold!" She exclaimed with joy as she lead her lover to his seat and pulled out the chair.

"Thank you kindly, dear." Booker said softly as he took his seat and watched his lover move back over toward the kitchen.

"I almost forgot, I managed to _acquire _a rather exquisite pinot noire for dinner tonight." The young would-be sommelier declared with pride as she removed the cork and brought two glasses to the modest table, filling each with the rich beverage before settling into her seat.

"You went to all this trouble just to make the night special, huh?" Booker asked as he swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes never left her beaming blue orbs of light and love.

"Of course!" She nodded happily but her smile was quickly replaced by a small frown and a look of concern. "D-do you not like it? Is it too much?" She asked as her confidence wavered.

"No, no, by all means Elizabeth, everything is _perfect." _Booker reassured his lover who shined another thousand-watt smile in his direction. It truly warmed his heart to know that he could make this young woman happy with just a few simple words.

"Wonderful!" She brought her hands together with a resounding clap. "Now then, before we begin, I would like to honor a time old Thanksgiving Day tradition." Elizabeth began.

"Oh, and pray tell what that would be?" Booker asked curious as to what his beloved had in mind.

"Well, it has always been customary when friends and family meet on this day to take turns and convey for what they are thankful." She explained and Booker nodded in comprehension. Nearly twenty years since he had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and he nearly forgot about that old custom.

"Very well, I see no reason why we couldn't do that. Would you like to do the honors and get us started then?" Booker offered and watched Elizabeth blush as she gave a small nod in acceptance of his invitation.

"Certainly." She replied and took a small sip of wine from her glass before settling it back upon the table and cleared her throat. "I've thought long and hard about what to be thankful for this year, and my mind comes back to the most obvious answer…" Elizabeth paused and Booker gave her a curious look.

"Well go on then, there's no need to keep us waiting in suspense." Booker playfully jibed with a soft laugh that always melted Elizabeth's heart.

"This year, I am most thankful for _you_ Booker DeWitt. The day you fell through the ceiling in my tower, turned out to be the best day of my life. Because that day I not only tasted freedom for the first time, but I also met the love of my life and every day has been a whirlwind adventure ever since—and I wouldn't change any of it for the world." Elizabeth finished with a flourish and was happy to see a faint hue of scarlet painted across Booker's cheeks as he flashed her a grin.

"You're tellin' me, you wouldn't change _anything _about our little adventure in the clouds?" Booker challenged as his mind went back to the darker moments of their storied journey to escape Columbia; all of the trouble with Slate, that incident with _Fitzroy, _getting captured by Comstock. Elizabeth seemed to read his mind and spoke up once more.

"To tell you the truth Booker, I don't." Elizabeth proclaimed and watched the look of surprise float across her lovers face. "Shocking as it may be, I've pondered on it off and on throughout the months and you I've come to a profound conclusion." Elizabeth put forth and Booker leaned in, his rapt interest apparent for any to see.

"Please, I want to hear this." Booker said with earnest.

"Every single event that transpired, every gun shot taken, every second of danger that passed, each and every piece of our journey forged the path that lead us here today. Change one portion of that journey and you run the risk of changing the ultimate destination. I can honestly say there's where I would rather be than here, with you, Booker." Elizabeth finished softly and reached over to rest her smaller hand over her beloveds and wrapped her thimble-covered pinky around his comparatively normal appendage.

"I must say Elizabeth, I'm—uh—touched." Booker sputtered, as he'd always found expressions and receptions of love and affection to be somewhat difficult. Elizabeth giggled at her lover's inability and shook her head with affection.

"Don't worry Booker, I know what you mean." She affirmed and he smiled at her understanding. "But that doesn't mean, I'm letting you off the hook that easy. Now let's hear what you're thankful for this year." She charged and Booker sat back in chair with thought.

"At the risk of sounding corny right about now, I don't have to look very far to see what I'm thankful for—" He began and Elizabeth smiled thoughtfully at her beloved and gestured for him to continue.

"—I'm thankful that I met you Elizabeth. I was a pitiful excuse of a man when Robert came to hire me to get you, but when I first looked into your eyes and you asked me if I was real. I knew my life had changed forever." He paused and Elizabeth gave a soft 'awe' followed up cheerful chuckle.

"That so sweet, even after I threw all of those books at you?" Elizabeth genuinely asked as she reflected on her now much regretted actions. At the time she had been confused and frightened by the sudden intrusion of a member of the opposite sex, but looking back she now felt should have kissed him on the spot, though she attributed that to the benefit of hindsight.

"Yes even after you threw those books at me, ran from, and called me all of those hurtful names." Booker threw at her playfully with mock hurt in his voice and Elizabeth straightened up with a playful look of indignation.

"Someone here seems to have forgotten just what he did to deserve that." She leveled at the detective, barely able to contain a bout of laughter as he held up his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, you got me. But seriously, after meeting you I found new purpose, I found redemption, and I found a soul mate if I'm being totally honest." He finished and Elizabeth relaxed her stance and gave him the most adoring look he had seen to date.

"I feel the same way, Booker. That was very sweet of you." She gave his hand a powerful squeeze of love and affection as they gazed into each other's eyes and smiled.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Booker."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Elizabeth." He finished and, as if on cue, both of their stomachs growled at the same time, betraying both of their intense hunger at the moment. Elizabeth blushed and Booker laughed as he stood and grabbed the carving implements and began to remove a few generous portions of turkey for himself and Elizabeth. They each passed around the dishes, taking their share of what they would eat and began to enjoy the meal.

"So, how was work today?" Elizabeth began as she cut into her portion of oven-cooked turkey.

"Eh, another story of a two-timing lover." Booker shrugged as he took a bit of the delicious turkey and gave a soft moan of appreciation for the home-cooked meal.

"Oh my, I wish you wouldn't have to take such jobs, I know how much they wear on you." Elizabeth offered in sympathy as she watched her lover's entire form shift uncomfortably at relaying this particular aspect of his job.

"Believe it or not, this job actually paid substantially more than normal. You remember Mrs. Saunders from a little while back?" Booker asked as he delved his fork into some of the green bean casserole that he had managed to scoop onto his plate.

"Oh yes, she was quite polite, very well-to-do if I recall correctly." Elizabeth responded with interest as to where Booker had been heading with all of this.

"Indeed, well, it turns out her husband was seeing another woman and has been for quite some time from the looks of things." Booker relayed as he wiped his mouth softly and watched as Elizabeth frowned in sadness.

"The poor woman, I hope she'll be okay. That's terrible news to receive, especially on a day such as this." She muttered softly.

"Actually, she took it surprisingly well. The way I see it, I think she suspected for a while but had no way of proving it." Booker added as he filled his mouth with another forkful of food.

"And that's where you came in?" Elizabeth asked as she resumed eating.

"Precisely, but it wasn't all bad, she actually asked about you as a matter of fact." Booker added to the shock of the young woman sitting across from him who tilted her head in surprise.

"Me, goodness, why should I be a topic of your conversation?" She asked with a hint of defensiveness entering her voice but Booker was quick to clarify before she got the wrong idea.

"She asked if we were married, she remembered seeing you in the office when she came in to enlist my services." Booker's measured tone assuaged her nerves and the young woman nodded.

"And what, might I ask, did you tell her?" Elizabeth asked with as much innocence as she could muster as she took a generous sip of wine. Both she and her beloved knew that the latter could see clear through her little charade as the topic of marriage had come up before, not that she ever pressed him on it but she was excited at the prospect.

"I told her I was workin' on it as best I could." He answered honestly, with a small hint of self-consciousness flooding over him. It was a sensitive topic because he could be very prideful in what he wanted to provide for his woman, not that she ever expected anything much from the detective.

"Oh Booker, you don't have to pressure yourself. I've told you that I want nothing more than to be your bride, but we have time. Truly, there's no rush." Elizabeth attempted to allay his internal fears. She knew how difficult it was for Booker to swallow his pride, he wanted to make sure he could provide her with the perfect ring, the perfect dress, the perfect backdrop, he had expressed it enough because, as he put it, she deserved nothing more than perfection and it appeared he was going down the same path again this evening.

"I know, I know, but you're such an amazing woman Elizabeth and you deserve so much more than I can provide you right now. I just want to make sure I do right by you as much as a man can by his woman." Booker answered honestly and Elizabeth's heart ached to see her man beat himself up over some misperceived slight.

"Booker you already do so much for me, you love me, you take care of me, you're always there when I need you, no one else in the world can do for me what you do and even if they could, my heart longs only for you." She declared in hopes to dispelling any sort of disparaging thought that might pervade Booker's mind.

"I just—I don't know what I did to deserve you, Elizabeth. But damn am I blessed to have you." Booker said with a renewed happiness deep within.

"Oh I know and don't you forget it." Elizabeth answered cheekily as she hid her laughter behind her hand, serving to only further solidify her beloved's affections.

The remainder of the evening went on as the pair exchanged small talk about their days, the meal, work ahead, and what Elizabeth wished to do when the pair finally made it to Paris. Booker sat back and listened to her go on and on about every little sight she wished to see and every experience she wished to share with him, and the only thought that Booker had was that he was going to spend the rest of his life with the brilliant and beautiful woman in front of him, and for the first time in a long time, he was completely and unabashedly happy; flashing a smile at Elizabeth who stopped and gazed upon her lover.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?" Elizabeth asked as she covered her mouth and began to check her pearly whites for any food residue.

"No, no, I was just thinking…" Booker trailed off with that same smile and Elizabeth leaned forward.

"Oh come on, you can't just leave me in suspense." She echoed his earlier sentiment and he laughed at her reference.

"I was just thinking—." He started as he stood and rounded the table to approach the young woman and pulled her from her seated position and held her smaller form in his arms. "—God only knows what I'd be without you."

"God only knows what _I'd _be without you" Elizabeth echoed with similar sentiment and pulled Bookers head down to meet his lips with her own in what became a very passionate embrace.

* * *

**Endnote: With that I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy your time with your families and that you enjoy this little bit of holiday fluff and Booker/Elizabeth goodness! **

**Respectfully,**

**TheLifeLongEditor**


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